Fastener for curtains, draperies and the like



Feb. 27, 1968 w. E. STIELER 3,370,316

FASTENER FOR CURTAINS, DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24, 1966 FIG! FIG.6

vINVENTOR. WILLIAM E. STIELER BY Mix/m. 44AM .JM

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,370,316 FASTENER FOR CURTAINS, DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE William E. Stieler, 6832 Marlette Road, Mariette, Mich. 48453 Filed Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,631 8 Claims. (Cl. 1687.2)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention herein disclosed relates to a new construction of drapery hanger, so designed that it is inexpensive to manufacture yet adequate for use with heavy draperies. When constructed from wire, it includes an oval ring arcuate at top and bottom with straight connecting portions. The free end of the ring is in actual contact with the inner straight portion or separated from it by less than the wire thickness. Said inner straight portion extends beyond the adjacent arcuate portion and is return bent to extend at a slight angle with said inner straight portion, terminating in a sharp point slightly beyond the opposite arcuate portion. The hanger may be constructed by bending metal wire into the above defined shape or it may be molded from any suitable material into said shape.

The invention relates to devices for use in the hanging of draperies and for similar purposes.

BACKGROUND Prior to the present invention, mounting of draperies has been accomplished by using either a ring or a hook. There are many devices in the prior art which are quite satisfactory for drapery hanging but, in general, those which function best involve the most expensive hardware and the highest labor costs. There are also devices which utilize inexpensive hardware and devices which lend themselves readily to low installation costs but such devices often have objectionable features either from the standpoint of ease in mounting or in the final appearance and manipulation of the draperies after hanging.

Among the items which increase the installation costs are the rods upon which traverse is effected. Where concealment of hardware is desired, the drapery panel is usually traversable by means of drawstring mechanism with master slides on adjustable tracks. Where the hardware is exposed, then it is usual to employ ornamental rods made of wood or metal with decorative finishes. Less expensive variations include hooks and slides on oval track for concealed hardware treatment and various styles of rings for the exposed rod treatment.

In the hanging of curtains, as distinguished from draperies, many types of inexpensive rods are available, one of the most common of which is the simple oval curtain rod made of telescoping parts to provide adjustment in length.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention is not primarily intended to replace the many devices now in use but rather to provide an additional device capable of adequately fulfilling a definite area of use where economy is of prime importance without sacrificing traversability and adjustability. Accordingly a prime object is to decrease the cost of drapery hanging while achieving an attractive final installation which operates in a satisfactory manner.

Another object is to make available to the industry, a novel drapery hanger, which can be inexpensively manufactured, easily installed and handled in bulk quantities without impairing the ease with which individual devices may be removed from the bulk mass and quickly placed ICC into final position for hanging the drapery on the rod.

A further object is to obtain a novel hanging device which functions both as a closed ring and also as a pin or hook.

Another object is to obtain a pointed drapery hanger which can be combined with the most inexpensive type of curtain rod while achieving trouble free traversability combined with attractive appearance and style.

Other objects will become more apparent from the accompanying drawing and the detailed description hereinafter set forth.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a drapery hanger device on an enlarged scale, with a cooperative curtain rod shown in cross section.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the device of FIGURE 1 on a scale such that the drawing in the printed patent represents the actual size of the preferred device.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the manual insertion or removal of the device from the drapery.

FIGURE 4 illustrates vertical adjustability.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the back side of a drape hung on a rod.

FIGURE 6 is a front view indicating manual manipulation of the drapery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGURE 1 which shows the drapery hanger on a greatly enlarged scale, a single piece of metal wire is bent into the form depicted in this figure. As will be observed from the drawing, the hanger has a ring portion 10 and a pin portion 11. The ring is of substantially oval form with a top arcuate portion 12 and a lower arcuate portion 13. There is a substantially straight outer connecting portion 14 and a similar inner connecting portion 15. One end 16 of the wire forms the upper terminus of the bottom are 13 and it extends to a position closely adjacent the inner straight portion 15, either in actual contact, or separated from it by a distance less than the thickness of the wire. This close positioning forms a substantially closed loop and avoids any possibility of any annoying chaining together of a series of devices when they are removed from bulk packaging. The dimensions of the ring are selected so that the ring will fit over a standard oval curtain rod, depicted at 17, with slight clearance sufficient for easy assembly, and for traversability.

The inner straight portion 15 is extended downwardly below the lower arc 13 and reversibly bent at 18 to continue upwardly in a straight portion 19. The other free end 20 of the wire extends slightly above the top arc 12 and is pointed at 21 to form a pin capable of being inserted in the drapery. The straight portion 19 of the pin extends at an angle to the inner portion 15 of the ring, for example, at an angle of about eight degrees, and at a position 22 contacts with the ring at approximately the junction of the top-arc 12 and the straight portion 15. Instead of actual contact at this point, there is usually a slight space less than the thickness of the wire. The wire is preferably round in cross section and is of any suitable metal such as iron, steel, brass, bronze, aluminum or any other material suitable for service as a pin and as a ring.

Although the device of this invention can be made in various sizes, it has been found most practical and desirable to construct it of the size and shape which is shown in FIGURE 2 on such a scale that the printed patent represents the actual size. To further establish this preferred embodiment of the invention the enlarged view in FIGURE 1 has been shown with certain dimension lines and the preferred values are as follows.

The total length of the pin 11 shown by dimension A is 1 7 The lengthwise dimension of the inside of bend 18 is the loop shown at B is The radius C of the lower "arc 13 is% the radiusof the top arc 12 being the same.

The thickness of the wire is 12 or 14 gauge and a length of approximately 4 /2" is sufiicient to form the full device as illustrated. The maximum distance D at the reverse 7 while the pointed end 21 extends above the top of the ring for a distance E equal to $1 The angle F is eight degrees.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the insertion of the hanger of this invention in theupper portion of a drape 23. It will be observed that the upper are 12 of the ring is such as to conveniently permit the insertion of the forefinger of the hand. Insertion of 'the device into the drapery is facilitated by the fact that the reverse bend 18 extends far enoughbelow the lower arc to permit the third finger to contact in the slot 24 formed at this point. FIGURE 4 illustrates the fact that the ring 10 may be adjusted vertically from a position shown in full lines at the top of the drape to the position shown in dotted lines at a lower portion of the drape.

FIGURE shows the assembly of the drape 23 mounted on the curtain rod 17 by a series of the hangers of this invention. The rings of each hanger surround the curtain rod and are assembled on the'rod when the telescopic parts thereof 25 and 26 are separated from each other. The portion 25 of the rod has a laterally bent extension 27 while its mating telescopic portion26 has a lateral extension 28. These lateral extensions are of conventional construction and can be mounted on the wall or other fixed part in any suitable manner not shown in detail. The mechanism for causing a traverse of the curtain can either be accomplished manually by grasping the drapes themselves or can be accomplished by means of a conventional baton.

The drapery hanger as above described constitutes the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is designed to perform a function which no other one piece device is expressly designed to accomplish. Whereas it has previously been'kriown to use the ring idea of mounting draperies, it has always been customary to expose/the ring above the'drapery in adecora'tive way. Whereas the prior art has utilized the hook idea of-mounting draperies, in many shapes and forms, it has always been dependent upon companion devices to achieve the function of'holding the drapery to the rod with traversability and ad- 'justability. The deviceof the present invention performs a combination of the above functions more easily and With much lessexpense. The present invention is intended to fill a need which has never heretofore been covered by any specific one piece device. This new device is totally self-contained and requires no additional device or combination of devices'in the performance of its function. The size and oval shape as disclosed herein prevents drooping or flopping over of the drapery heading and assures a neat crisp upright appearance as depicted in FIGURE 5. The device of the present invention is the answer to a most efiicient and economical means of hanging hand traverse draperies and achieves the style, the attractive appearance, and the ease of trouble free traversability in the least'ex'pensive way.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A drapery hanger comprising a ring portion of structural shape corresponding to that formed by the bending of a wire into a loop with arcuate top and bottom portions connected by inner and outer portions, one end portion of the wire forming the bottom are with the terminus of said end porton being non-integral with but Closely adjacent said inner portion thereby substantially wardly slightly below said lower arc and being reversely bent to continue upwardly to form a pin, the other free end of said wire being pointed and extending slightly above the top arc, the total length of said pin from said reverse bend to said pointed portion being only slightly greater than the length of said loop.

2. 'A hanger as set forth in claim 1 in which the loop is of substantially oval form with said inner and outer portions being substantially straight.

3. A hanger as set forth in claim 1 in which the terminus of said first end portion of the wire is separated from said inner portion by a distance less than the thickness of the wire.

4. A hanger as set forth in claim 2 in which said hanger is made entirely of metal wire and the terminus of said first end portion of the wire is separated from said inner portion by a distance less than the thicknessof the Wire.

5. A hanger as set forth in claim'4 in which the lower end of the reverse bend extends below said bottom are by a distance not substantially more'than four times the thickness of said wire.

6. A drapery hanging device capable of supporting a drape for easy traverse while concealing the device behind the drapery comprising a curtain rod for attachment to a wall, a series of similar drapery hangers slidingly engaging said rod, each hanger having a substantially closed loop surrounding 'said rod and of cross section slightly larger than said rod with only small clearance between the same, each hanger having an integral pin portion removably engaging said drape below the top thereof, each drapery hanger comprising a ring portion of structural shape corresponding to that formed by the bending of a wire into a loop with arcuate top and bottom portions connected by inner and outer portions, one end portion of the wire forming the bottom arc with the terminus of said end portion being non-integral with but closely adjacent said inner portion thereby substantially closing said loop, saidinner portion continuing downwardly slightly below said lower arc and being reversely bent to continue upwardly to form a pin, the other free end of said wire being pointed and extending slightly above the top arc, the total length of said pin from said reverse bend to said pointed portion being only slightly greater than the length of said loop.

7. A drapery hanging device as set forth in claim 6 in which said curtain rod is of oval cross section formed of telescopic portions with laterally bent ends for attachment to the wall, and each hanger is of oval form with said inner and 'outer portions being substantially straight.

8. A drapery hanging device as set forth in claim 7 in which each of said hangers is made of metal wire and the terminus of said first end portion of the wire is separated from said inner portion by a distance less than the thickness of the wire and in which the lower end of the reverse bend extends below said bottom are by a distance not substantially more than four times the thickness of said wire.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,465,938 8/1923 Guider 16-872 1,945,585 2/1934 Wintrob 1687.2 2,533,780 12/1950 Eutzler 1687.2 2,996,117 8/1961 Roberts -348 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. J. Assistant Examiner. 

